7/12/2016

WhenmemorycrossestheborderofKamalpur

WhenmemorycrossestheborderofKamalpur
Author:BhavyaDore
PublishedDate:Jan16,201012:24AM
LastUpdated:May16,20123:06PM

The cover of Train to India by Maloy Krishna Dhar is strikingly similar to Pablo Picassos
Guernica.
ThecoverofTraintoIndiabyMaloyKrishnaDhar,areproductionofthepaintingSeesawbyChittaprosad,isstrikingly
similar to Pablo Picassos Guernica. Body parts adrift, arms flailing, expressions contorted, the books cover gestures
towardsthesameconclusionthatGuernicadid:violencedismembersphysically,emotionallyandpsychologically.&nbsp
WithsuchanarrativeofdeathanddismembermentwritlargeintheverypremiseofthenovelthePartitionofBengalin
1947Dharsaccount,subtitledMemoriesofAnotherBengalisanactofpiecingtogetherapersonalpast.
There is one episode in the novel, one which forever alters the course of the 12yearold Dhars life a train journey
whichmakeshimgrowupinthespaceofhoursthatremainsthenovelszenith.Spatteredwithblood,watchingdeath
unfoldbeforehim,chasedbyrioters,Dharjumpsoffatrainandlaterattacksamaninselfdefence.Drawingbloodforthe
firsttimeisasimultaneouslyterrifyingandintoxicatingexperienceforDhar.Unfortunately,therestofthebookdoesnthave
thesamepower.ThereisagoodmemoirhiddensomewhereinTraintoIndia,unfortunatelythebookdoesntmakethat
availabletous.
DharsmemoirdrawsonhisgrowingupyearsinKamalpur,nowinBangladesh,inthe1940s.Everydaylifeistaintedby
thepoliticalrumblingsofthetime,untilthesituationcomestosuchaheadthatthefamilyfinallyfleestheirhomesoilfor
BengalontheIndiansideoftheborder.
TheyoungDharislikeanyotherchildpreoccupiedwithhischildishgames,goingtoschoolandlivingforthesimplejoysof
clandestinecinemavisits.WithseveralMuslimchildrenasclosefriends,Dharcannotcomprehendthecommunalcolouring
ofhishomeland.Insuchtroubledtimesformerlyfaithfulservantmightturntraitorandevenschoolmightbeahavenfor
political skulduggery. Bengali Hindus and Muslims, who previously lived together peacefully now become Hindus and
Muslims first, and Bengalis later, a development that deeply saddens Dhars politically active father. The novel is
permeated with the inevitability of the family having to leave their own soil to become refugees in a country they are
supposedtothinkofashome.ButtothemIndiaisonlyavagueidea,notaconcretemotherland.
Dharcanbesimpleandevocativeitisinpartsthatthememoirworks,largelybecauseitisthroughthevoiceofthechild
narrator.ThisisanimportantstorythepartitionofBengalnevergotthesameattentionasthepartitionofPunjabonthe
westernflankbutwhatcouldhavebeenacharmingaccountofgrowingupintimesoffearandturmoilpetersouthalfway
through.Thenarrativecouldhavedrawnstrengthfromitsepisodicstructurethesearecolourfulepisodesbutinstead,
itstumbles.Theanecdotesareunabletoinvigoratethebiggerpicturewithanykindofdynamism.
Thememoir,whilewritteninEnglish,comesacrossasapoortranslationofaBengalioriginal.Itappearsasiftheauthor
wasthinkingandvisualisingthestoryinBengalibeforetranscribingitinEnglish,andanysortofeditorialdirectionseems
tohavebeenlacking.UnwieldytransliterationslikeUncleBirendraandCousinDukhiacomeacrossastriteinsteadof
simplysayingBirendraChachaforinstance.Similarly,translatingpayasasamilkbasedsweetortellinguswhoKarnais
intheMahabharataaresimplysuperfluous.Simplicityisrefreshingbutbeingsimplisticmerelycomesintheway.
TraintoIndia:MemoriesofAnotherBengal
ByMaloyKrishnaDhar
Publisher:Penguin
Pages:367
Price:Rs350&nbsp
bhavya.dore@gmail.com
Copyright2012TheNewIndianExpress.Allrightsreserved.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/article222818.ece?service=print

1/1